Plans to build 123 new apartments at the railway station risk the area becoming the “Costa del Cambridge” amid claims their design is “appalling” and is not in character with existing buildings.

The concern emerged this week after residents were invited to a public exhibition to have their say on proposals for two blocks of the CB1 development’s ‘Devonshire Quarter’.

Residents expressed shock at the “overbearing” height of the new B2 and F2 blocks, with concerns also raised about the proposals’ implications for road safety, congestion and green space.

However, developers Brookgate defended its proposals and said it would provide a “fitting setting” for people accessing Cambridge station from the north.

Resident Dunecan Massey, 36, said he was pleased to see the area being developed as a whole but was concerned the focus was more on cars and buses rather than pedestrians and cyclists.

He said: “I can’t see provision for footfall to and from the town centre, in particular crossing Station Road which has been already subject to a petition and also how to cross the northern access road.

“What I get a sense of here is bouncing out of an extremely crowded interchange where the natural thing is to jump in a taxi. I can’t see a vision of how people are encouraged to walk.

“I know people are chancing it on the northern Road. It’s not safe.”

Mr Massey added he felt the area was becoming over-developed, with a design that risked giving the area an unappealing “Costa del Cambridge” feel.

He said: “It’s appalling, it doesn’t reflect that local architecture at all. We don’t think the quality of the buildings will make it last – it’s going to look very tired in 10 years.”

As well as new apartments, Brookgate’s proposals for the two blocks include ancillary retail, basement parking and a new 207-space multi-storey car park for Network Rail.

A Devonshire Road resident, who did not want to be named, said the apartments looked “frighteningly” like the Marque and questioned whether they would benefit the city’s key workers.

She told the News: “There’s a scramble to build more and build high. It’s a golden opportunity to do something with exciting architecture and I don’t think it’s exciting.

“It desperately needed redevelopment but this is cramming as much in as humanly possible and that’s different. I could swallow it better if it was going to benefit key workers but it’s not.”

The F2 and B2 blocks have outline approval under Brookgate’s wider master plan for CB1 and the next stage would involve the developers submitting a detailed planning application.

However, one resident questioned how much people could take away from the plans and said she felt the consultation process sometimes felt like “lip service”.

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CB1 Development

Brookgate stressed it was keen to listen to residents’ concerns and that it would be picking up on the need for a pedestrian crossing, as well as having “on-going discussions” about design.

A spokesman added: “Blocks B2 and F2 will create a boulevard within which cyclists, motorists and pedestrians will access the station and car park.

“It will be a ‘shared surface’ public space designed by the same landscape architect that has worked throughout CB1.

“Phase 1 of the new Station Square will shortly be open to the public and operational for taxis, drop off/pick up and disabled parking, which is the next substantial part of the public facilities being provided by Brookgate at the CB1 development.

“The short term traffic management experienced during its construction will be relieved once Phase 1 of the new Station Square is open.”

They added the new multi-storey car park had a “modern, well-designed and attractive” design and that it would be a “significant improvement over the previously consented multi-storey car park”.